A disgraceful New York Times opinion piece

Criticisms of Trump are more than warranted. But papers like the New York Times shouldn’t provide a platform for senior members of his administration to display such cowardly, destructive and self-serving behavior

The recent New York Times opinion piece by a “senior official in the Trump administration” may be a new low for the paper, and that’s saying something.

The author slams President Trump, praises some of the policies that have occurred since Trump came into office, and seeks to reassure people that, even at the highest levels of power, people are working to contain and control the president.

The piece would’ve been acceptable if this senior official would have resigned before publishing it – and not hidden behind a pseudonym. With its anonymity and moral preening, the op-ed looks more unethical than it does courageous or even thoughtful.

The author is saying things that papers like the New York Times have already reported on extensively. We already knew that the president behaves erratically, and that people are trying to restrain him from acting upon his worst instincts.

The author tellingly notes that: “Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over.”

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The three sentences above are essentially self-congratulatory rhetoric masquerading as a mix of thoughtful deliberation, patriotism and bravery.

Sure, many cabinet members believed the president to be unfit for office, but they started a secret campaign to steer him in the right direction. This special campaign is so secret that no one will ever know about it except the participants and the handful of people who read the New York Times.

Criticisms of Trump are more than warranted. But papers like the New York Times shouldn’t provide a platform for senior members of his administration to display such cowardly, destructive and self-serving behavior.